


Bulletproof

by carma19



Category: The Boys (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 14:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20409274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carma19/pseuds/carma19
Summary: Once again, Starlight’s half-assed plan to protect the guy she cares about has some holes--this time, in the shape of two red laser beaming eyes.(aka a Starlight/Queen Maeve Fake Dating AU)





	Bulletproof

_“Maeve, please!”_

_“Take my daughter!”_

_“Don’t leave us!”_

Maeve jolted awake with a wince and a gasp, her hand flying to her stiff neck as she squinted, trying to get her bearings. “Shit,” she breathed on her exhale, sitting up and swinging her tall boots over the edge of the couch. 

She’d passed out on the common room couch again, her third drained gin martini glass on the coffee table in front of her. Thanks to the obnoxiously bright sunlight pouring into the room at a wide angle, she could tell it was morning. 

Too fucking early. 

Maeve reached for her phone--face down beside that empty martini glass--and unlocked her screen to find a text from Elena. 

_I hope this doesn’t cause any trouble. Still worried about you. I’m here if you need anything._

Auburn brow knitting, she scrolled down to find a link to a tabloid shot. Someone had snapped a picture of the two of them from the other day, when Elena crashed her photoshoot. The picture was mostly harmless, the two of them with their heads together talking in hushed tones, but Maeve noted the emotion captured in her own eyes, clear as day. 

**_Queen Maeve privately chats with unknown gal pal_**.

_Shit._ She can’t afford to get sloppy. Especially not _now_, with the majority of the rest of the Seven either dead, on suspension, or just plain fucking up. With a heavy sigh, she set down her phone and pushed herself to stand, trudging to the refrigerator; she retrieved a bottle of water and drained half of it, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. 

She’d have to talk to Elena. Remind her what was at stake without telling her too much. 

Elena didn’t know most of the strings, limitations, dangers, and between-the-lines bullshit that came with her contract, but Maeve could handle Elena’s anger and hurt at her withholding of information because at the end of the day, plausible deniability was always important for someone ‘disposable’ according to Vought. 

And Homelander.

She gripped the neck of the gin bottle to put it away when the doors to the common room burst open, revealing a slightly disheveled looking blonde striding toward her, white and gold cape billowing behind her.

“Starlight.” Maeve’s brow crawled higher and she froze at the counter. “Dare I even ask--”

“Would it kill you make me another one of those?” Starlight’s voice cracked as she paced in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, sunbeams reflecting off her golden hair and the shiny fabric of her uniform.

“Recharging your batteries?” Maeve asked dryly, only somewhat curious as to how much sunlight impacted Starlight’s powers. She eyed the skittish freshman, hesitating before plucking a clean martini glass and grabbing the bottle of vermouth along with a shaker. “You look like shit. Did you even sleep, or--”

“A-Train had a heart attack,” Starlight burst, whirling around and gnawing her lower lip between her teeth. 

Maeve’s eyes popped wider before she shook her head, grumbling under her breath. “What an idiot.” She’d known about his addiction for years. Not that she had room to judge…

(Their poisons were different. It was _different_.)

“I fought him,” Starlight confessed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Maeve sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and clenched her jaw, her voice carrying in a hissing whisper. “You _what?_”

“He was gonna hurt Hughie!” Starlight cried. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“You _always_ have a choice. We don’t attack each other. We’re the goddamn _Seven_. When the hell are you gonna get that through your thick skull?”

Starlight ran a hand through her hair, tugging as she muttered a slew of swears under her breath. “I need to quit. I need to quit so I can protect--”

A bitter laugh puffed past Maeve’s lips. “You can’t quit now, Starlight. You know too much. Especially if you fought A-Train and saw him have a goddamn heart attack. Trust me,” Maeve paused, pulling the cork from the gin bottle and taking a swig straight. “The chance you have to protect your nerdy little boyfriend is to cut him loose. Pretend you don’t care about him. Once they know you care about someone…” Maeve trailed off. Starlight wasn’t so dumb as to not be able to finish her thought. Obviously Vought used shit against them all the time. 

“You have someone too, right?” Starlight eyed Maeve, her lips pulling into a frown. “You said--before, when you were talking about our weakness--”

“This isn’t about me.” Maeve placed the gin back into the cabinet and smoothed her hands down the front of her armored bodice as she stepped up to the younger hero. “If--and I mean _if_ A-Train survives, he’ll talk.”

“If it’s his word against mine, I’ll say--the Compound V made him hallucinate our fight. Or maybe, since Hughie and I kept him alive long enough for help to get there--maybe he won’t say anything.”

Maeve grimaced. “Starlight…”

“And if they think Hughie and I are dating, I’ll… make everyone think we’re not. It can’t be that hard, right? All I need is…” Starlight cocked her head to the side, as if eyeing Maeve in a new light. “...someone else. Someone else to be with. Pretend to be with, even… someone they can’t hurt.” 

“Starlight, what the hell are you--” 

Maeve cut herself off at the telltale sound of militant boots clicking on marble flooring, approaching the double doors to the common room. “Homelander,” she whispered.

And just as Homelander wrenched those doors open…

Starlight reached up and hooked a hand behind Maeve’s neck, standing on tiptoe and pulling her in for a searing kiss. 

Maeve froze for half a beat, the heat of Homelander’s hard stare flaring up her spine, and then she reacted; her hands found Starlight’s hips and she tugged her closer, deepening the kiss for good measure.

To truly sell it.

“Maeve,” Homelander drawled, his voice eerily calm. “Starlight.” 

The superwomen broke apart, Starlight gasping for air and swaying on the spot.

(Maeve resisted the urge to smirk; she knew she could _kiss_. Clearly Starlight wasn’t anticipating any skill there--yet again proving the girl was a fucking idiot.)

“Homelander,” Maeve greeted, licking her lips and arching a brow. 

“Hello, sir,” Starlight managed once she found her voice.

Homelander’s jaw twitched, his eyes flashing dangerously at the younger woman before his features smoothed out, schooled into a pleasant grin. “Ladies. I’m calling a team meeting. Once you two are… finished in here…” He shot them a pointed look, feigned amusement playing on his lips. “Please join me and Noir. We’ll be waiting.” With that, he turned and exited the room. 

Maeve set her hands on her own hips as she shook her head at Starlight, who unknowingly took any heat off Elena after that article.

And while the rookie’s half-assed, idiot plan of them being “involved” or whatever would likely help protect Maeve’s innocent ex-girlfriend…

(_”You know… if I ever really thought you were falling for someone else… I just… I don’t think I could handle it. You and me? We’re different. Better. Together forever._)

Maeve sure as fuck couldn’t protect Starlight from Homelander.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> Connect with me on Tumblr @ starlightscape :D


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